Ring plate valve unit for stationary air compressors



S. F. KING March 30, 1965 RING PLATE VALVE UNIT FOR STATIONARY AIRCOMPRESSORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 H W H 4 x A 5 5 e 4 3.3 3L T2 1 NVEN TOR..Sfivw FT AVA/6 S. F. KING March 30, 1965 RING PLATE VALVE UNIT FORSTATIONARY AIR COMPRESSORS Filed J4uly 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. 5/7/77/ E Al/VG W&W

43 KIM"! United States Patent 3,175,577 RING PLATE VALVE UNIT FORSTATIONARY AIR COMPRESSORS Smith F. King, Franklin, Pa., assignor toChicago Pneumatic Tool Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of NewJersey Filed July 3, 1962, Ser. No. 207,362 9 Claims. (Cl. 137-512.1)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a ring platevalve unit intended especially for use in a stationary air compressor ofthe piston cylinder type.

The valve unit may be used in a discharge opening as well as in anintake opening of the piston cylinder to control air flow into and outof the latter. The valve plates in this type of unit are arrangedconcentrically between a seat member and a keeper member over aplurality of annular ports. The valve plates move relative to the portsaccordingly as predetermined differentials in air pressure develop onopposite sides of the valve plates due to alternate suction andcompression actions of the piston.

A general object of this invention is to provide in an air compressor ofthe piston type an improved ring plate valve unit which is practical andeconomical in its structure, and which is quiet and efiicient in itsoperation.

A feature of the invention is a desirable arrangement of return springswhich fluidly follow the opening and closing action of ring plate valveswhereby the valves are enabled to open and close simultaneously andquietly without forcefully rebounding relative to a common seat.

A further feature of the invention is an advantageous arrangement ofguide pins associated with the springs. These pins serve to guide thevalve plates as well as the springs in their movements. They alsocontrol the degree of cushioning provided by the springs to the valveplates. A further advantage of the pins is that they are long lasting,subject to rotative adjustment relative to the valve plates, and arereadily replaceable The invention further lies in its particularconstruction and also in the relative arrangement and cooperativeassociation of its various components, whereby the beneficial resultsintended herein are obtained.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention willappear.more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detaileddescription which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawingswherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. It is to beexpressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes ofillustration and description, and: they are not to be construed asdefining the limits of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross section of a ring plate valve unit embodying theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line '22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail view showing a cross section through aring pack;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 illustrates the valve unit mounted in an air compressor of thepiston type.

In the drawing is disclosed an air compressor 10 (FIG. 6) of the pistontype. The compressor includes a piston 11 which on its forward or intakestroke causes air to be' drawn through an intake opening 12 into apiston chamber 13, and which on its return or compression strokecompresses the air previously drawn into the chamber 13 and dischargesit through a discharge opening 14. Seated in the intake opening 12 andcontrolling flow of air into the piston chamber 13 i a valve unit,generally designated 15, embodying the present invention.

The valve unit 15 includes a housing (FIGS. 1-5) of symmetrical design,comprising a circular valve seat member 17 and a complementary valvekeeper member 18 held in face to face contact as a unit by fasteningmeans 19. The keeper member 18 has a reduced cylindrical end portion 21which has a slide fit in the intake opening 12 of the compressor; thekeeper member also has at its opposite end an enlarged thick flange 22defining an annular shoulder 23 which seats 'upon a complementaryannular shoulder 24 about the intake opening 12. The seat member 17 hasa reduced cylindrical end portion 25 which is sleeved over by the lowerend of a thick clamping sleeve member 26 (FIG. 6); and the seat memberfurther has a thick annular flange 27 about its opposite end whichdefines an annular shoulder 28 upon which the bottom end wall of thesleeve 26 abuts. The upper peripheral marginal surface of sleeve 26bears against the wall of an annular opening 31 of the housing 30 of thecompressor 10. An annular skirt portion 32 of a clamping cover plate 33depends with a slide fit into the opening 31 of the housing 30 and abutsagainst the corresponding end wall of the sleeve 26. The cover plate 33,which is tightly drawn to the housing 30 by bolts 34, acts through itsskirt 32 and the sleeve 26 to clamp the valve unit 15 fast upon theshoulder 24 of the intake opening 12. The pressure exerted by the sleeve26 upon the valve unit is uniform over the shoulder 28 of the seatmember, whereby any possibility of distortion or warping occurring inthe seat and keeper members is avoided. It is clear that the valve unit15 may, when necessary, be removed for replacement through the housingopening 31 after the cover plate 33 and sleeve 26 have been removed. Thefastening means 19 is a headed screw the shank of which extends slidablythrough the seat member 17 and is threadedly tightened in the keepermember 18. It is to be noted in this respect that no part of the screw13 extends into the piston chamber 13, and that the head of the screw islocated externally of the piston chamber 13. This arrangement is ofdecided advantage in that there is no possibility of the screw becomingloose and dropping into the piston chamber to cause damage. Nor is thereassociated with the screw any nut element that might loosen and dropinto the piston chamber.

Describing the valve unit in further detail, the keeper member 18 has aninner level face 36 which is held by means of the fastening means19 incontact with an opposed level face 37 of the seat member. The keepermember has an annular air flow recess 38 in its face which communicatesby means of a plurality of connected arcuate ports 39 through the bottomend 41 of the keeper with the piston chamber 13 (FIG. 6). Recessed inthe inner face 37 of the seat member is an outer annular air flowchannel 42 and an inner annular air flow channel 43. These channels areconcentric, and are spaced apart by an annular portion 44 of the innerface of the seat member. The channels open out directly above the recess38 of the keeper member. A plurality of arcuate ports 45 formed in thebody of the seat member'in communication with the channels 42, 43 openthrough the outer face 46 of the seat member, whereby intake airentering through a port 47 of the sleeve 26 of the compressor (FIG. 6)may flow through the arcuate port 45 into the annular channels 42, 4.3.The arcuate ports 45 are separated from one another by radial ribportions 40.

The areas 35 of the face 37 of the seat member 17 bordering the channels42, 43 defines a seat which is common to a pair of radially spacedconcentric ring plate valve elements 48, 4?. The latter control flow ofair from the channels 42, 43 of the seat member into the recess 38 ofthe keeper member 13.

A plurality of annular spring packs 51, here three in number and spacedcircumferentially degrees apart, yieldably press the valves 48, 49 upontheir seat closed over the channels 42, at its lower part in a separatecylindrical well 52 formed the keeper member.

seated in a hole 55" axially of the bottom of each well extends closelythrough alignedcholes 56 in the stacked springs of the related springpack; and beyond the spring 7 pack each pin extends between the valves48 and 459 in bearing relation to the latter; ,By thisarrangement, thevalvesand the spring packs are guided in theirrespective axialmovements. The pins also prevent these spring members of a pack whichare disposed 'abovethe' well in open and close. Due to th 7 coned shapeof the springs 53 and due to their reverse relationship (FIG. 4), aninner air pocket is definedat 5? between each pair of opposed springs,and an outer air pocket fills defined between the outer ends of eachseparate pair of springs.

Because of itsclose relation to the spring pack, the surrounding wall 62of the well 52 substantially closes the open ends of the outer pockets61; and the close relationthe wider recess 38 from slipping radiallyrelative to the valves. I v a t 7 As the piston 11 of the compressorr'eciprocates and 7 causes differential air pressures to developalternately over opposite faces of the valves 48,- 49, the latter 42 and43, they'are arranged to bear against the pins 54 as they open andclose. a

The valve elements 48, 49 are rigid, and are formed of hardenednon-rustable metal, such as stainless steel." This structural nature ofthe valves avoids not only rusting and distortion of the valves; butalso consequent undesirable valve seating. As the hard'steel valvesreciprocate in bearing relation to the pins 54, they tend:to wearrepeatedly move to open and closed position. In order that the valveswillcnot move in the wider recess '38 radially in theirse'atin'grelation relative to the channels down and create consequent undesirableflatson the.

hardened steel. To' avoid any tendency of the pins to rotate relative'tothe moving valve elements the pins are press fittedin their holes 55andare thus restrained V latter, even though the pins themselves areformed of against rotation. Worn pins may be replaced or reposi-.

'tioned relative to the valve elements 48 and 49. ,fEach pin 54' iscylindrical and flat, ended. s It extends for a short distance beyondthe valves 48, 4.9 into a hole 57 formed in the body of the seatmember17. These 1 projecting ends ofthe pins are slidably receivable'in theholes 157 of the seat; member, thus enabling the latter to be readilyassembled andguided in such assembly with 7 Because of the extension ofthe pins into the seat member, the latter is also restrained against 7relative creeping or rotative displacement about the fastening element19 relative to the keeper member.

on the shoulder 24' ship of the guide pin 54 to the wall'area of theaxial holes 56 of the springs substantially closes the open ends of theinner pockets 59. Because of this arrangement, during a suctionorforward stroke of thepiston ll of the compressor, each spring pack iscompressed as intake air forces the valves open. As thejspring pack iscompressed, the restricted fiow of air from'the inner and outer pockets59,61 cushions the opening action of the valves; During a compressionstroke of the piston the pressurized air in the piston chamber '13before escaping through the discharge opening 14 of the compressor,returns the valves to their seat. As the latter action occurs ,7 thespring elements of each spring pack expand and follow the closing actionof the valves, the pockets 59 and 61 filling up with air as the springelements 53 expand. In this opening and closing actionlof the valveseach spring pack fluidly follows the axial movement of the valveelement's, whereby violent opening andviolent closing of the valveelements is avoided. It is clear that thecircular holes or innerdiameters 56 of the springs may be so dimensioned relative to the pins54 as toallow a desired restricted flow of air about the pinsand therebyobtain a desiredcushioning follow up action of the springs against thevalves. I

The intakeand discharge openings; 12, 146i the compressor unit: aresymmetrical. In the lower left hand portion of FIG. 6 a valve unit 15'embodying theinven. tion is shown seated'in the discharge opening 14 ofthe compressor, but is reversed inits position so as to controldischarge of air from the compressor. This valve unit 15 is identical instructure to the valve unit 15, described above, except that thefastening screw 19"is reversed.

In this instance the valve seat member l7' is disposed of the discharge.opening .l4'and I the valve keeper member 18 is associated with thesleeve member 26'jof the clamping means. The threaded relation of thefastening screw'19' is. reversed so that the head of the screw willin'this case also beoutside of,

" the'piston chamber13.

Each pin hole55 terminates in a reduced bore 58 that 1 opens through thebottom face of the keepermember.)

This bore is of decided benefit. After the seat member 17 has beenremoved from the keeper member 18 during disassembly of the valve unit,a probe may be forcefully entered into the bore 58 against the pin 54 todislodge the latter from the keeper'for' replacement or adjustmentg'After a pin has been knocked out of its hole, it may be replaced in thehole in an adjusted rotated position SQ'lIhat unworn peripheral areas'ofthe pin may be presented to the valveelements. Accordingly, the

pin'smaybe used for a considerable length of time before .itbecomes'necessary to replacejthem with new ones.

The spring packs 51 are centered by means of the pins 54 relative-to'thevalve elements 48, 49 so as to Lequally underlie. both of the latter. Bythis arrangement, each spring pack acts with equal force upon both'valve's, so that inia seating or expansion actionof the springs bothvalves are vcaused toseat evenly and simula 'taneously over thecorresponding channels 42 and 43;

I Havingdescribed and illustrated my invention as above, it is myintent, however, to claim theinvention not only as shown'and describedbut also in all such forms and modifications thereof as'may bereasonablyconstrued to fall within the spirit of the invcntion and the scope ofthe appended claims. v 1 Y What is claimed is: p c v p 1. A. valve unitfor .association with an air 'flow passage in the cylinder of a pistontype air compressor, comprising a seat member having a l V pair ofconcentrically arranged air intake channels, a separate hard metal ringK plate valve movableto open andclosed position relative to eachchannel, a keeper membercomplementing the seat j member and held fastthereto, the keeper member hav- Further, in ant opening action of thevalves both" of the, i

latter are yieldably resisted to an equal degree by each spring pack,thus enablingboth V valvesto simultaneously open toan equal degree.

Because of the arrangement and structure of the com-i "ponents of thespring packs, the latter also serve ,to cushion the operating action. ofthe valves as the latter ting" an annular air flow, recess allowingreciprocating movement. of the valves relative to the channels, aplurality of cylindrical Wells ,in'theair flow-recess spaced equallyapart and centered below the valves' in common 7 relation to bothvalves, an'annular spring pack seated in each well composed of astack ofindividual dished spring elements wherein each alternatespring'element'is in reverse relation'to the next adjacent-springelement, each j spring pack yieldably exerting equal seatingpressureupon both valves, and a' cylindrical pin removably, seatedin each wellpassing closely and axially'through the corresponding spring pack andpassing between the valves in bearing relation thereto. a

2. A valve unit as defined in claim 1, wherein each pin is of uniformdiameter throughout.

3. A valve unit as defined in claim 1, wherein each pin has a press fitin a hole at the bottom of the related well so that it is restrainedagainst rotation relative to the valves as the latter operate.

4. A valve unit as defined in claim 3, wherein each pin extends beyondthe valves and has a slide fit in a hole in the seat member, so that theseat member is restrained against rotative disalignrnent with respect tothe keeper member and is guided in its assembly to the keeper member.

5. A valve unit as defined in claim 3, wherein the hole in which the pinis seated communicates axially with a bore of reduced diameter openingthrough the bottom end of the keeper member, the said bore allowingentrance of a probe to forcefully dislodge the pin for replacement orrotative adjustment.

6. A valve unit as defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of airpockets defined between opposed inner faces of the spring elements ofeach spring pack have a predetermined close escape vent defined by apredetermined closeness of the periphery of the related pin to thesurrounding wall of the axial hole of the spring pack.

7. A valve unit as defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of airpockets defined between opposed outer faces of the spring elements ofeach spring pack have a predetermined close escape vent defined by apredetermined closeness of the periphery of the spring pack to thesurrounding wall of the related well.

8. A valve unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the keeper member andseat member together define a symmetrical housing for the valve unithaving a peripheral flange about its center and annular shoulders aboutopposite faces of the flange, whereby the housing is selectively 6 iseatable, in one position in an air intake passage of the air compressorand in a reverse position in an air dis charge passage of the aircompressor.

9. A valve unit of the character described including complementarykeeper and seat members bolted together to define a housing for theunit, a pair of concentrically arranged ring plate valves movable to andfrom seated condition relative to arcuate port slots of the seat member,a plurality of circumferentially and equally spaced annular spring meansdisposed between the keeper member and the valves, each spring meansbeing centered below the valves in common relation to both valves andyieldably exerting equal seating pressure upon both valves, and aseparate cylindrical pin of uniform diameter removably seated in part inthe keeper and seat members passing closely and axially through eachspring means and further passing between both valves in bearing relationthereto, the pin being releasably restrained against rotation relativeto the valves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,124,323 7/38Voss 137-454.4 2,215,017 9/40 Schmitt 230228 2,222,550 11/40 Wintzer137-454.4 2,690,763 10/54 Seligman 137-516.11 2,752,943 7/56 Doeg137512.15 2,833,305 5/58 Muckley et a1 137516.13 3,050,237 8/62 Nicholas23023 1 FOREIGN PATENTS 829,952 3/60 Great Britain.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner. LAURENCE V. EFNER, Examiner.

9. A VALVE UNIT OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED INCLUDING COMPLEMENTARYKEEPER AND SEAT MEMBERS BOLTED TOGETHER TO DEFINE A HOUSING FOR THEUNIT, A PAIR OF CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED RING PLATE VALVES MOVABLE TO ANDFROM SEATED CONDITION RELATIVE TO ARCUATE PORT SLOTS OF THE SEAT MEMBER,A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND EQUALLY SPACED ANNULAR SPRING MEANSDISPOSED BETWEEN THE KEEPER MEMBER AND THE VALVES, EACH SPRING MEANSBEING CENTERED BELOW THE VALVES IN COMMON RELATION TO BOTH VALVES ANDYIELDABLY EXERTING EQUAL SEATING PRESSURE UPON BOTH VALVES, AND ASEPARATING CYLINDRICAL PIN OF UNIFORM DIAMETER REMOVABLY SEATED IN PARTIN THE KEEPER AND SEAT MEMBERS PASSING CLOSELY AND AXIALLY THROUGH EACHSPRING MEANS AND FURTHER PASSING BETWEEN BOTH VALVES IN BEARING RELATIONTHERETO, THE PIN BEING RELEASABLY RESTRAINED AGAINST ROTATION RELATIVETO THE VALVES.